A TAMWORTH firm of electricians is expanding after receiving support from an innovative leadership programme.

Jeff Longley, owner of Able Electrical Installations Ltd, launched the business in 2008 with three employees but now has 22 staff.

The firm went through a period of rapid growth, something Mr Longley had dealt with previously, taking two businesses to a turnover of £1 million, before selling them.

This time he looked around for help to support his growth plans, enabling him to control the growth and keep the company moving forward.

He turned to great200leaders, a personal performance and business growth scheme created by Birmingham City Council as part of the Business Development Programme (BDP).

The scheme, which is aimed at 200 ambitious business owners and directors across the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area, offers a programme of speakers, coaching and events, with peer groups of like-minded people.

Mr Longley, whose business has more than doubled its turnover in two years, is on target for £1 million turnover this year.

He said: “One of the biggest pressures facing a growing business is that you still need to deliver day to day for customers but you also need to focus on how to manage that growth. Great200leaders has given me the confidence to take the company further.”

Able Electrical Installations Ltd now has approved contractor status with corporate giants, such as McDonald’s. It is an approved installer for Green Deal and has diversified into gas and pluming as well as electric.

“I have been in business for 20 years and this is the third time I have brought a company to £1 million turnover. Until now, I could get the business there but I didn’t know how to run it - great200leaders has helped me manage the company structure while understanding my own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the aspirations of my staff.

“Thanks to the scheme, I am now in a position where we will continue to meet our business targets but I’m able to do so with a degree of confidence that wasn’t there before.”

Karen Mercer West, Mr Longley's coach on the programme, said: "When I first worked with Jeff, his propensity to work in instead of on the business was very clear. He also recognised that releasing others to develop themselves and, as a result, the business was something that did not come easy to him.

"He was very hands on. This programme has given him the support, knowledge and skills required to recognise his own personality traits, skills and preferences and of those around him.”

The great20leaders scheme is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and each participant has to contribute one third of the cost.

There is still time for businesses to apply to the scheme. As well as access to keynote speakers, great200leaders also offers up to 30 hours of executive coaching and access to non-executive director support, as well as business and personal diagnostics to benchmark performance and impact.

The scheme is part of the Business Development Programme (BDP), which is already set to create more than 420 jobs across the GBS LEP area.

More than 115 applications for financial support from the area have been approved. The BDP, which is funded through the European Regional Development Fund, will run until June, 2015 and businesses across the whole of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP can still apply.

Any small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP area that wants to find out more about how the Business Development Programme could boost its business can visit birmingham.gov.uk/bdp.

To apply for the coaching and mentoring scheme visit winningmoves.com/G200L